Iran move World Cup base from US to Mexico with FIFA approval

Iran were expected to alert from Turkiye to Arizona to proceed World Cup 2026 preparations but volition power to Mexico.

Iran volition basal ‌their squad successful the Mexican borderline metropolis of Tijuana ⁠during this ⁠year’s World Cup aft football’s satellite governing assemblage FIFA approved a petition to determination their grooming campy from Arizona, ⁠the caput of Iran’s shot federation said connected Saturday.

“We volition beryllium based successful the Tijuana camp, which is adjacent the Pacific ⁠Ocean and connected the borderline betwixt Mexico and the United States,” Iran’s Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said successful a video posted connected its Telegram societal media account.

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Taj added that the power would assistance ‌avoid visa-related complications pursuing the US-Israel warfare connected Iran, and that the squad would beryllium capable to alert straight to Mexico with Iran Air.

Iran volition play their archetypal 2 Group G matches successful Los Angeles, against New Zealand connected June 15 and Belgium connected June 21, ⁠before facing Egypt successful Seattle connected June 26.

“The ⁠total region betwixt america and the venue of our games successful Los Angeles is 55 minutes by flight,” Taj said, adding that Tijuana was person to their ⁠match venues than the team’s antecedently planned campy successful Arizona.

Iran has faced uncertainty for months ⁠over question and information arrangements for the ⁠World Cup, which volition beryllium cohosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and had asked for their games to beryllium moved from the US.

Iranian officials said this period that their players and unit had yet to person US ‌visas, little than a period earlier the commencement of the tournament. They began visa applications during their enactment successful Turkiye for pre-tournament training.

Taj said FIFA had been asked for guarantees implicit visas, information ‌and ‌the attraction of the Iranian delegation.

Iran are owed to play Gambia successful a affable connected May 29 earlier manager Amir Ghalenoei names his last 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA’s June 1 deadline.

The World Cup is from June 11 to July 19.